Talk | Art and Philosophy – Wonder- The Forgotten Aesthetic Category from the HLG

Event Details

Is wonder more important than beauty in contemporary art? Plato and particularly Aristotle on thaumazein (wonder) as the beginning of philosophy. Wonder versus other aesthetic concepts such as awe and the sublime. Artworks as machines for producing wonder. Examples of artists that seek to evoke wonder: Olafur Eliasson, James Turrell, Yayoi Kusama. Emphasis on the sensory over the cognitive. Curiosity as opposed to excellence as an aesthetic virtue. Wither wonder in the digital age? Can art still surprise? Is there a politics of wondering? Who gets to wonder etc. Free, book or come on the day subject to availability.